"It is my hope that the mosque will help to bring our city even closer together, and help repudiate the false and repugnant idea that the attacks of 9/11 were in any ways consistent with Islam."
Mayor Bloomberg of NYC speaks up for the mosque near the WTC site. Read his speech here.
Roadrunner on Amazon!
Buy Roadrunner, Indian sites
Travel: Our Judgement Free
My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. (Listen)
It was January the thirtieth/And everybody was feelin' fine.
Yo!
Good times!
TwitTwotTwet
Some of my writing
Asirgarh, Narbona, towelsTsunami reports
Girls of his (my) dreams
Winner, Outlook/Picador 2004/5
'74 Bra Flinging Story
Not just about tennis
My books
Branded by Law | The Narmada Dammed | RoadrunnerSome of my photographs
Worth your time
Ramani's fieldnotesTom Pietrasik | Abi
Annie | Shivam V
Bombay Addict
Uma MD | Amitava Kumar | John Naughton
Amin for your travel needs
9 comments:
India at certain levels is more progressive than the US, though of course the likes of D'Souza fail to perceive that, or refuse to believe it. It would be churlish to assert that India is more progressive at *all* levels. One can think of the whole acceptance in the US of single women living alone carrying no stigma, while in India in many parts, there is such a stigma or negativity about it.
India has a far richer and nobler heritage of religious plurality( coming to the blog topic) and the acceptance and acknowledgement of different paths to the divine, than the US, where for 200 years there has been an emphasis on the overwhleming Christian identity and character of the country. Politically, India is more progressive and plural. You can call yourself a "Left Democratic Party", "Socialist" and even "Communist", and not only openly contest elections, but expect to obtain considerable numbers of votes. In the US, that wouldn't go very far! India has elected a woman prime minister several times, while the US has not had one woman president. There is a greater variety of news sources in India, which are openly seen or available, than the US, which tends to conformity on most issues, honourable exceptions notwithstanding.
All this is mindlessly missed by D'Souza, with his agenda of denigrating India, while boosting every other country, including two-bit ones like Pakistan.
"India has a far richer and nobler heritage of religious plurality( coming to the blog topic)"
that is the blog topic? you could have fooled me, dsouza. why didnt you say so instead of giving us some quote?? why didnt you mention india? or "plurality"? or "nobler"?
thank you chandru k for divining topics for us moping fools.
What I heard from the protesters was that followers of Islam, in the past, have always destroyed monuments/buildings/places of worship and then built a mosque on them... and they (the protesters) said that that is happening here also. Despite D'souza ji talking to Beena ji and all that crap of candle light march, I could see the glee on Pakistani co-workers when they approved the mosque. Now D'souza ji will say that he is writing about how open the Americans are, and gleefully forget the kind of celebrations all the Arabia/persia/pak is having..
Of course, if we decided to rebuild Babri Masjid - you know, just in the hope that the mosque will help to bring our country even closer together, and help repudiate the false and repugnant idea that the attacks on the mosque were in any ways consistent with Islam - Chandru K would be the first to protest...
Surely you can realize from the tone that the first comment is not by me. Everyone knows India is an older civilisation. Anyone who keeps having to restate it must be doubting it - and I doubt it not! All this is mindless missed by the imposter, with his agenda of denigrating D'Souza, while boosting every other bigot-worthy topic, including two-bit ones like mocking Pakistan.
Just to end the confusion I am now going to call myself Chandru Ke, using two letters of my last name, and I hope the imposter will not do the same.
globalbabble: I think "Islam" in your comment was meant to be "Hinduism"?
Good point made, and thought-provoking.
"and help repudiate the false and repugnant idea that the attacks on the mosque were in any ways consistent with Islam - Chandru K would be the first to protest..."
Actually, it would be nice to convert mosques in general, or at the least, disputed sites like the Ayodhya mosque, into multi-faith establishments. Where you can revere Allah, Ram, Jesus, Ahura Mazda or the unseen Spirit( as in some aboriginal faiths). I would support such a venture. Unfortunately, there are many who would oppose it.
I think that is a good idea. Perhaps we can start with the mosque/temple in Mathura. The mosque and temple already share a boundary wall. But how will these interfaith people even pray together? One brings a pig, another brings a leather belt, the third both, and a fourth casts a lower-caste shadow? I think the first steps have to be taken in the neighbourhood kitchens. For instance, Chandru K (imposter) can invite his moslem neighbours to his kitchen and vice versa.
I am of course looking at an ideal or optimised situation, not at the lowest common denominator that "Chandru Ke" does. Reformist, modern Hinduism emphasises the devotional, contemplative, meditative aspect of Hinduism, and ignores, downplays or denounces caste as well as differences of diet( though a vegetarian one is generally advocated). I'm not talking about the most backward attitudes of the most backward people that the other CK is referring to.
Post a Comment